U.S. patent application number 11/561335 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-26 for z-axis redundant display / multilayer display.
This patent application is currently assigned to Uni-Pixel Displays, Inc.. Invention is credited to Martin G. Selbrede.
Application Number | 20070091011 11/561335 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34394018 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070091011 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Selbrede; Martin G. |
April 26, 2007 |
Z-Axis Redundant Display / Multilayer Display
Abstract
A display system for presenting one or more planes of display
information. The display system may include two or more display
modules positioned in a spaced relationship in a stacked formation
substantially along a Z-axis perpendicular to a display face of a
display module. Each display module may be selectively activated to
display a visual image or deactivated to a quiescent state.
Further, when a display module is activated to display the viewed
image, the viewed image can be viewed through a prior display
module which is deactivated to a quiescent state.
Inventors: |
Selbrede; Martin G.;
(Austin, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FISH & RICHARDSON P.C.
P.O BOX 1022
Minneapolis
MN
55440-1022
US
|
Assignee: |
Uni-Pixel Displays, Inc.
Houston
TX
|
Family ID: |
34394018 |
Appl. No.: |
11/561335 |
Filed: |
November 17, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10678789 |
Oct 3, 2003 |
|
|
|
11561335 |
Nov 17, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
345/4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02F 2203/62 20130101;
G09G 3/00 20130101; G09G 2330/08 20130101; G09F 9/30 20130101; G02F
1/1347 20130101; B60K 2370/347 20190501; G09G 2300/023 20130101;
H04N 13/395 20180501 |
Class at
Publication: |
345/004 |
International
Class: |
G09G 5/00 20060101
G09G005/00 |
Claims
1. A display system comprising: a first visually transparent TMOS
display module; and a second display module positioned in a spaced
relationship to the first TMOS display module in a stacked
formation substantially along a Z-axis perpendicular to a display
face of the first TMOS display module; wherein each display module
can be selectively activated to display a visual image or
deactivated to a quiescent state, and wherein when the second
display module is activated to display the viewed image, the viewed
image can be viewed through the first TMOS display module.
2. The display system of claim 1, further comprising a third
display module positioned in spaced relationship to the second
display module in a stacked formation substantially along the
Z-axis.
3. The display system of claim 1, wherein when the second display
module is in an active state displaying the viewed image, the first
TMOS module is visually transparent in the quiescent state.
4. The display system of claim 1, wherein a single display module
is activated to display an image at a point in time.
5. The display system of claim 1, wherein both of the display
modules are activated to display their respective images at the
same time.
6. The display system of claim 1, further comprising a static
opaque layer positioned behind the second display module distal
from the first display module in the Z-axis, wherein the second
display module is visually transparent and of a TMOS
configuration.
7. The display system of claim 1, further comprising a dynamic
opaque layer positioned behind the second display module distal
from the first display module in the Z-axis, wherein the dynamic
opaque layer can be activated to an opaque visual state and
deactivated to a transparent visual state.
8. The display system of claim 1, further comprising an opaque
layer positioned behind the second display module distal from the
first display module in the Z-axis, and a dynamic opaque layer
positioned between the first and second display modules wherein the
dynamic opaque layer can be activated to a visually opaque visual
state and deactivated to a visually transparent state.
9. The display system of claim 1, wherein the first and second
display modules are substantially parallel to each other along
their X and Y axes.
10. The display system of claim 1, wherein the first and second
display modules are not parallel to each other along their X and Y
axes, but are aligned so that a viewed image displayed by the
second display module is viewable through the first display
module.
11. A method of operating a display system comprising the steps of:
providing a first visually transparent TMOS display module, wherein
the first visually transparent display module can be activated to
display an image and deactivated to a quiescent state; providing a
second display module positioned in a spaced relationship to the
first TMOS display module in a stacked formation substantially
along a Z-axis perpendicular to a display face of the first TMOS
display module, wherein the second display module can be
selectively activated to display the image and deactivated to a
quiescent state; and activating a display module to display the
visual image, wherein when the second display module is activated
to display the viewed image, the viewed image can be viewed through
the first TMOS display module.
12. The method of claim 11, further providing a third display
module positioned in spaced relationship to the second display
module is a stacked formation substantially along the Z-axis,
wherein the third display module can be selectively activated to
display the image and deactivated to a quiescent state, wherein the
third display module is activated to display the viewed image, the
viewed image can be viewed through the first and the second display
modules.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of
activating a single display module to display the image at a point
in time, wherein when the second display is activated to display
the image the first display module is visually transparent in the
quiescent state.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of
activating more than one display module simultaneously to display
images.
15. The method of claim 11, further providing a static opaque layer
positioned behind the second display module distal from the TMOS
display module in the Z-axis, wherein the second display module is
visually transparent.
16. The method of claim 11, further providing a dynamic opaque
layer positioned behind the second display module distal from the
first display module in the Z-axis, wherein the dynamic opaque
layer can be activated to an opaque visual state and deactivated to
a transparent visual state.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of
activating the dynamic opaque layer to an opaque visual state.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of
deactivating the dynamic opaque layer to a transparent visual
state.
19. The method of claim 11, further providing an opaque layer
positioned behind the second display module distal from the first
display module in the Z-axis, and a dynamic opaque layer positioned
between the first and second display modules, wherein the dynamic
opaque layer can be activated to a visually opaque visual state and
deactivated to a visually transparent state.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:
activating the first display module to display the image; and
activating the dynamic opaque layer to a opaque visual state.
21. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:
activating the first display module to display the image; and
deactivating the dynamic opaque layer to a visually transparent
state.
22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:
activating the second display module to display the image, wherein
the first display module is visually transparent in the quiescent
state and the dynamic opaque layer is in the deactivated visually
transparent state.
23. The method of claim 19, wherein the opaque layer positioned
behind the second display module is a dynamic opaque layer, wherein
the dynamic opaque layer can be activated to a visually opaque
visual state and deactivated to a visually transparent state.
24. The method of claim 12, further providing a dynamic opaque
layer positioned behind the third display module distal from the
first display module in the Z-axis, wherein the dynamic opaque
layer can be activated to an opaque visual state and deactivated to
a transparent visual state.
25. The method of claim 12, further providing an opaque layer
positioned behind the third display module distal from the first
display module in the Z-axis, and a dynamic opaque layer positioned
between the first and second display modules, wherein the dynamic
opaque layer can be activated to a visually opaque visual state and
deactivated to a visually transparent state.
26. A display system comprising: a first visually transparent TMOS
display module having a display face; and a second display module
having a display face; wherein the display modules are positioned
in a stacked formation substantially along a Z-axis perpendicular
to a display face of the first display module, and wherein the
display module faces are not aligned in the same X-Y plane; wherein
each display module can be selectively activated to display a
visual image or deactivated to a quiescent state, and wherein when
the second display modules is activated to display the viewed
image, the viewed image can be viewed through the first display
module.
27. The display system of claim 26, further comprising a third
display module having a display face, the third display module
positioned in spaced relationship to the second display module in a
stacked formation substantially along the Z=axis and wherein the
display module faces are not aligned in the same X-Y plane.
28. (canceled)
29. The display system of claim 26, wherein the display module
faces are not parallel to each other along their X and Y axes, but
are aligned so that a viewed image displayed by the second display
module is viewable through the first display module.
30. The display system of claim 26, further comprising a dynamic
opaque layer positioned behind the second display module distal
from the first display module in the Z-axis, wherein the dynamic
opaque layer can be activated to an opaque visual state and
deactivated to a transparent visual state.
31. The display system of claim 26, further comprising an opaque
layer positioned behind the second display module distal from the
first display module in the Z-axis, and a dynamic opaque layer
positioned between the first and second display modules wherein the
dynamic opaque layer can be activated to a visually opaque visual
state and deactivated to a visually transparent state.
32. The display system of claim 27, further comprising a dynamic
opaque layer positioned behind the third display module distal from
the first display module in the Z-axis, wherein the dynamic opaque
layer can be activated to an opaque visual state and deactivated to
a transparent visual state.
33. The display system of claim 27, further comprising an opaque
layer positioned behind the third display module distal from the
first display module in the Z-axis, and a dynamic opaque layer
positioned between the first and second display modules, wherein
the dynamic opaque layer can be activated to a visually opaque
visual state and deactivated to a visually transparent state.
34. (canceled)
35. (canceled)
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention primarily relates to the field of flat
panel displays, particularly as implemented in systems where
redundancy is desired and/or required to insure continued display
performance in the face of potential device failure. The present
invention also applies to multi-level security applications
directly exploiting a display exhibiting different classification
levels of information displayed on each screen (i.e., hardware
separation of different security levels). The present invention
also applies to three-dimensional (3D) imaging applications where
explicit Z-axis information is viewed directly via overlay
replication without recourse to stereoscopic techniques, and even
to applications requiring "reality overlay" capability.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0002] In various critical applications (mission-critical,
flight-critical, space-critical) where a display system must
exhibit a minimal level of fault tolerance, flat panel displays and
their CRT-based counterparts achieve redundancy by way of adjacent
tandem dual installation. Additional area on the surface of the
console that houses the display is routinely allocated for
installation of backup displays and instrumentation devices. In
many applications (e.g., avionics, military vehicle deployments,
etc.), such "real estate" is at a premium, leading to a congested
console with primary and secondary displays consuming precious
console surface area.
[0003] Redundancy has been traditionally achieved by allocating
additional area on the X-Y surface of the console. Extension in the
X-Y direction is mandated due to one factor that all such display
devices have in common: they are opaque structures. Because they
are inherently opaque structures, it is not possible to exploit the
Z-axis in developing redundant display solutions. Thus, there is a
need in the art for a display system that exploits the Z-axis in
lieu of consuming more area on the X-Y console surface, many
significant advantages would accrue.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A first advantage of the present invention where the Z-axis
is exploited is that redundancy achieved by exploiting the Z-axis
would directly free up surface area on the display console. A
second advantage is that the space savings could readily be
translated into large easier-to-read displays. A third advantage is
that system wiring paths would be shorter and thus more reliable. A
fourth advantage is an ergonomic one that is particularly apparent
in avionics. Since the backup display occupies the exact same
location in the console, the user does not have to divert his gaze
to another location on the console to acquire important
information. All information is displayed in the same place under
all conditions.
[0005] If a flat panel display were transparent, there would be
little in principle to bar its being stacked in the Z-axis in
pairs, or set of three, etc. Flat panel displays conducive to such
configuration must exhibit four properties; they must be inherently
transparent, they must fail in the "off mode" to avoid undesirable
overlay, they must be relatively thin along the Z-axis, and they
must fulfill the survivability criteria for the particular
environment calling for redundant implementation. (E.g., an
environment requiring redundancy is likely to undergo extremes of
temperature, militating against liquid crystal display deployment
at the outset. Some severe deployments may require surviving an
electromagnetic pulse.)
[0006] Among current display technologies, virtually none exhibit
the required transparency. Accordingly, little has been done to
explore the possibility of achieving redundancy using Z-axis
disposition of the redundant display components. The problem has
remained unsolved, although it is surely as urgent as it ever has
been.
[0007] The present invention, called Z-Axis Redundant
Display/Multilayer Display, achieves this elusive goal for displays
that satisfy these four criteria. Among the display technologies
that do indeed satisfy these criteria, therefore lending themselves
to implementation of a Z-Axis Redundant Display/Multilayer Display,
is the display disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,491, which is
hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0008] The display of U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,491 (hereinafter called a
"TMOS Display") is a known suitable candidate for systemic
configuration into a Z-Axis Redundant Display. It exhibits the
requisite transparency, it fails in the off-mode without power, and
it satisfies the performance/environmental/survivability criteria
associated with applications demanding fault tolerance through
device redundancy.
[0009] The present invention treats the TMOS Display as a modular
element in a larger architectural construct. This construct,
broadly conceived, involves the disposition of two or more TMOS
Displays in spaced-apart relation to each other, said relation
keeping the planes of all constituent TMOS Displays parallel. When
TMOS Displays are used as the target module being replicated (as
recommended), the interstitial spacing between them is nominally
greater than the wavelength of the lowest frequency light traveling
in each TMOS Display waveguide to avoid crosstalk between displays
occasioned by evanescent coupling. The interstitial gap cannot be
filled with material bearing a high refractive index, since TMOS
Displays use the principle of Frustrated Total Internal Reflection
to generate images. The gap may be filled with air or material with
a refractive index very near that exhibited by air (1.000 . . .
1.06). The present invention can incorporate displays other than
TMOS Displays that fulfill the criteria enunciated above; the
limitations inherent in these alternate candidates would directly
influence the geometry of the construct. From this point forward,
the term "module" will be taken to mean a TMOS Display or a
generally equivalent alternate candidate that satisfied the key
viability criteria herein tabulated. The term "construct" will
refer to the systemic composition of two or more modules in
spaced-apart relation to secure the benefits accruing to such
composition.
[0010] The primary display in a construct may be the
topmost/frontmost module, with the backup display(s) being one or
more modules situated underneath/behind it. In one embodiment, only
the primary display operates while the backup display(s) remain(s)
quiescent. In the event of failure of the primary display, the
appropriate circuitry either detects this fact or is apprised of it
by operator action, shuts down power to the primary display,
activates the next backup display and reroutes video signals to the
latter. If more than simple redundancy obtains, the failure of the
secondary display would trigger the activation of a tertiary
display, etc., thus securing additional redundancy as required.
[0011] The present invention is independent of any specific
mounting technology to hold the modules in the correct spaced
relationship in the construct. It broadly covers all
implementations of display redundancy in which the salient features
herein disclosed are in evidence. There may well be levels of
sophistication in such mounting technologies that enable ease of
module replacement within the construct. There may also be many
variations in how to reroute information from the failed primary
display to a backup display (from one module to another). The
present invention discloses an overarching architecture from which
such present and future sophistications derive meaning and
utility.
[0012] To achieve so-called "hardware separation" between data
bearing different security/classification levels, the same parallel
module disposition can be applied. In this instance, the driver
circuitry is not geared to redundancy but rather to keeping
displayed data bearing a specific security clearance level on a
specific module within the module "stack." Users of such systems
who lack the appropriate security clearances will not receive
information restricted to the corresponding module since that
module will be deactivated or otherwise rendered quiescent. Only
the modules in the stack for which the user has clearance will be
activated and permitted to display information.
[0013] Where a sufficiently large number of modules comprise a
stack, it is feasible to emulate explicit 3-dimensional objects by
encoding the 2-dimensional projected cross-section of these objects
into the respective planes represented by the modules. The level of
Z-axis granularity under this emulation schema will be proportional
to the number of modules comprising the stack and inversely
proportional to inter-module spacing.
[0014] Applying redundancy to "reality overlay" applications (e.g.,
helmet-mounted see-through displays) is also readily achieved by
applying the principles of the disclosed construct to the device
under contemplation. Since both modules are transparent, the
reality overlay criterion (the ability to view the real world
through the display, which is usually situated near the observer's
eye) is maintained under standard operating mode with the primary
display or in emergency backup mode with the secondary display
within the construct displaying the viewable image.
[0015] In the case of a reality overly display application, there
is no opaque layer comprising the final part of the construct,
inasmuch as such a layer would be inconsistent with the "see
through" criterion at the heart of such a system. However, such an
opaque (black) layer may be used to provide a reference black
background against which images are generated. There are two
different ways to implement such an opaque background within the
construct; (1) if the opaque background is static (fixed and
unchanging in blackness), such as would be the case if it were an
extended planar sheet of carbon nanofoam, the layer must be placed
behind all the other modules; (2) if the opaque background is
dynamic (capable of being switched between transparent and opaque
modes), this layer can be either situated as in (1) above, or can
itself be replicated behind each module so that each layer of the
construct has its own dynamic black background.
[0016] The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and
technical advantages of one or more embodiments of the present
invention in order that the detailed description of the invention
that follows may be better understood. Additional features and
advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which
form the subject of the claims of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] A better understanding of the present invention can be
obtained when the following detailed description is considered in
conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a single level of redundancy using a
two-module construct in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a double level of redundancy using a
three-module construct in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates an arbitrary level of redundancy using an
n-module construct in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a dual-module construct with a single
static opaque layer at the distal end of the module stack in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a dual-module construct with a dynamic
opaque layer situated behind each individual module in the stack in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for achieving redundancy
for a construct comprising two modules in the stack with a static
opaque element in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for achieving redundancy
for a construct comprising two modules in the stack with dynamic
opaque elements situated behind each module in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 8 illustrates a "hardware-separated" multi-level
security block diagram in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0026] FIG. 9 illustrates an explicit Z-axis
quasi-three-dimensional construct of arbitrary granularity in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 10 illustrates a "reality overlay" system exhibiting
redundancy with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method for implementing hardware
separation of data at different security classifications based on
the representative constructive of FIG. 8 in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a method for
quasi-three-dimensional image generation based on the construct of
FIG. 9 in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0030] FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of a flat panel
display in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0031] FIG. 14A illustrates a side view of a pixel in a deactivated
state in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0032] FIG. 14B illustrates a side view of a pixel in an activated
state in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0033] FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a method for displaying different
classes of information on different modules in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] In the following description, numerous specific details are
set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present
invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art
that the present invention may be practiced without such specific
details. In other instances, well-known circuits and algorithms
have been shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the
present invention in unnecessary detail. For the most part, details
involving timing considerations and the like have been omitted
inasmuch as such details are not necessary to obtain a complete
understanding of the present invention and are within the skills of
persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art.
[0035] As stated in the Background Information section, a
complement of transparent displays disposed in a spaced-apart
relation along the Z-axis (display stacking) can provide valuable
system redundancy characteristics in conjunction with improved
human factors engineering (identical position for the primary and
backup display for any given piece of instrumentation). As before,
a transparent display, whether based on a TMOS display or an
equivalent alternate technology bearing the requisite attributes,
shall be termed a module, while the composition of modules into a
system shall be termed a construct. A general principle of the
present invention in one embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 1. The
construct may be composed of a primary module 100 and a secondary
backup module 101, the primary planar surfaces of which are
maintained in a substantially parallel spaced apart relation 102 by
any arbitrarily chosen mounting mechanism (not shown). (Note, the
present invention is not to be limited to such parallel
constructions; it is also applicable to modules positioned at
angles to each other.) The invention relates to the achievement of
useful display redundancy, and therefore generalizes the means for
mounting the displays in the correct geometric relations. Such
mounting mechanisms can incorporate shock and vibration absorbing
mechanisms, signal interconnects, etc. The invention can co-exist
with any such sophistications in mounting the modules; in fact, it
directs the purpose for the mounting mechanisms to be ultimately
chosen for any given implementation of the present invention. The
distance 102 may be selected to provide desired viewability of the
construct in both normal and backup display operating modes (i.e.,
when 100 is displaying the desired image, and when 100 has failed
or has been disabled and 101 is displaying the desire image, which
is viewed through the now-quiescent module 100). The distance 102
may be zero or greater in dimension.
[0036] Each module 100, 101 may include a matrix of optical
shutters commonly referred to as pixels or picture elements as
illustrated in FIG 13. FIG. 13 illustrates a module 100, 101
comprised of a light guidance substrate 1301 which may further
comprise, a flat panel matrix of pixels 1302. Behind the light
guidance substrate 1301 and in a parallel relationship with
substrate 1301 may be a transparent (e.g., glass, plastic, etc.)
substrate 1303. It is noted that module 100, 101 may comprise other
elements than those illustrated, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,319,491, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety. It is further noted that each module discussed herein may
be structured as disclosed in FIG. 13.
[0037] Each pixel 1302, as illustrated in FIGS. 14A and 14B, may
comprise a glass substrate 1303, light guidance substrate 1401, a
transparent conductive ground plane 1402, a deformable elastomer
layer 1403, and a transparent electrode 1404.
[0038] Pixel 1302 may further comprise a transparent element shown
for convenience of description as disk 1405 (but not limited to a
disk shape), disposed on the top surface of electrode 1404, and
formed of high-refractive index material, preferably the same
material as comprises light guidance substrate 1401.
[0039] In this particular embodiment, it is necessary that the
distance between light guidance substrate 1401 and sick 1405 be
controlled very accurately. In particular, it has been found that
in the quiescent state, the distance between light guidance
substrate 1401 and sick 1405 should be approximately 1.5 times the
wavelength of the guided light, but in any event this distance must
be maintained greater than one wavelength. Thus the relative
thicknesses of ground plane 1402, deformable elastomer layer 1403,
and electrode 1404 are adjusted accordingly. In the active state,
disk 1405 must be pulled by capacitative action, as discussed
below, to a distance of less than one wavelength from the top
surface of light guidance substrate 1401.
[0040] In operation, pixel 1302 exploits and evanescent coupling
effect, whereby TIR (Total Internal Reflection) is violated at
pixel 1302 by modifying the geometry of deformable elastomer layer
1403 such that, under the capacitative attraction effect, a
concavity 1406 results (which can be seen in FIG. 14B). This
resulting concavity 1406 brings disk 1405 within the limit of the
light guidance substrate's evanescent field (generally extending
outward from the light guidance substrate 1401 up to one wavelength
in distance). The electromagnetic wave nature of light causes the
light to "jump" the intervening low-refractive-index cladding,
i.e., deformable elastomer layer 1403, across to the coupling disk
1405 attached to the electrostatically-actuated dynamic concavity
1406, thus defeating the guidance condition and TIR. Light ray 1407
(shown in FIG. 14A) indicated the quiescent, light guiding state.
Light ray 208 (shown in FIG. 14B) indicates the active state
wherein light is coupled out of light guidance substrate 1401.
[0041] The distance between electrode 1404 and ground plane 1402
may be extremely small, e.g., 1 micrometer, and occupied by
deformable layer 1403 such as a thin deposition of room temperature
vulcanizing silicone. While the voltage is small, the electric
field between the parallel plates of the capacitor (in effect,
electrode 1404 and ground plane 1402 form a parallel plate
capacitor) is high enough to impose a deforming force thereby
deforming elastomer layer 1403 as illustrated in FIG. 14B. Light
that is guided within guided substrate 1401 will strike the
deformation at an angle of incidence greater than the critical
angle for the refractive indices present and will couple light out
of the substrate 1401 through electrode 1404 and disk 1405.
[0042] The electric field between the parallel plates of the
capacitor may be controlled by the charging and discharging of the
capacitor which effectively causes the attraction between electrode
1404 and ground plane 1402. By charging the capacitor, the strength
of the electrostatic forces between the plates increases thereby
deforming elastomer layer 1403 to couple light out of the substrate
1401 through electrode 1404 and disk 1405 as illustrated in FIG.
14B. By discharging the capacitor, elastomer layer 1403 returns to
its original geometric shape thereby ceasing the coupling of light
out of light guidance substrate 1401 as illustrated in FIG. 14A.
Additional details regarding the functionality of pixels 1302 is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,491, which is hereby incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety.
[0043] Returning to FIG. 1, whereas FIG. 1 illustrates a construct
exhibiting simple redundancy (a single backup module), FIG. 2
illustrates an embodiment of the present invention of a construct
with double redundancy (employing both a secondary and a tertiary
module for backing up the primary module). The primary module 200
is in parallel spaced apart relation to the first backup module
201, which is in turn in parallel spaced apart relation to the
second backup module 202. The distances between primary and
secondary modules (203) and between secondary and tertiary modules
(204) satisfy the criteria previously disclosed for FIG.
1,passim.
[0044] FIG. 3 generalizes the present invention to any arbitrary
level of system redundancy and fault tolerance in accordance with
an embodiment of the present invention. The primary display 300 has
additional displays in spaced apart relation 302 to it in a
concatenated stacking sequence, up through the final level of
redundancy represented by the last module in the stack, 301. The
spacing 301 between each element of this construct satisfies the
criteria established for such interstitial spacing in FIG. 1. Any
module in the stack may be used as the primary display. Moreover,
more than one module may be active at the same time.
[0045] FIG. 4 illustrates the construct of FIG. 1 with the addition
of a static opaque (black) planar background in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention. Module 400 is in parallel
spaced-apart relation 403 to backup module 401, while the static
opaque planar background 402 is itself in spaced-apart relation 404
to backup module 402. The planar background 402 is termed static
because it is considered permanently opaque, and not capable of
dynamic shifting between opaque and transparent states. It provides
a contrasting background for the construct as a whole, both for 400
when it is operational as well as for 401 when it is activated and
displaying the image encoded in the video signal being fed to the
construct.
[0046] FIG. 5 illustrates the construct of FIG. 1 with the addition
of at least one dynamic opaque (black) planar background in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The primary
module 500 is in parallel spaced apart relation to the backup
module 502, whereas both 500 and 502 have associated opaque planar
backgrounds (501 and 503 respectively) in parallel spaced-apart
relation to them, such that 501 is situated between 500 and 502,
while 503 is situated on the obverse side of 502 from 501. Opaque
planar background 501 must be capable of dynamically shifting from
opaque to transparent mode, while 502 may be either a static or
dynamic opaque planar background. When 500 is operational, 501 may
be in opaque (black) mode. Should 500 fail or be deactivated,
element 501 then becomes transparent in order for backup module 502
to be viewed through the combination of 500 and 501, with 503 being
set to opaque if it is dynamic rather than static in nature.
[0047] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention of
an algorithm of a simple redundancy construct, each as in FIG. 1.
The algorithm applies to instances where a static planar
background, as in FIG. 4, is incorporated. Referring to FIG. 6, the
algorithm 600 of a simple redundancy construct may determine if the
primary display failure has been detected in step 601. If the
failure has not been detected, then a determination is made in step
602 as to whether the operator initiated a reversion to the backup
display. If the operator has not initiated a reversion to the
backup display then, in step 603, a system clock initiates periodic
polling of the primary display failure detection and operator
commands. Subsequent to the system clock initiating periodic
polling of the primary display failure detection and operator
commands, a determination is made in step 601 as to whether the
primary display failure has been detected.
[0048] If the primary display failure has been detected, then, in
step 604, the primary display is deactivated to place the primary
display in a quiescent, fully transparent state. Referring to step
603, if the operator initiated a reversion to the backup display,
then, step 604, the primary display is deactivated to place the
primary display in a quiescent, fully transparent state
[0049] In step 605, the secondary display is activated and the
video signals are routed to the secondary display instead of to the
primary display.
[0050] Where dynamic planar backgrounds are implemented, the
modified algorithm of FIG. 7 may be imposed. It should be
understood that both algorithms (FIGS. 6 and 7) are readily
extensible and thus can be modified by anyone knowledgeable in the
art to handle degrees of system redundancy for more elaborate
constructs, such as those disclosed in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3.
[0051] Referring to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the
present invention of an algorithm 700 where dynamic planar
backgrounds are implemented. In step 701, a determination is made
as to whether the primary display failure has been detected. If the
failure has not been detected, then a determination is made in step
702 as to whether the operator initiated a reversion to the backup
display. If the operator has not initiated a reversion to the
backup display then, in step 703, a system clock initiates periodic
polling of the primary display failure detection and operator
commands. Subsequent to the system clock initiating periodic
polling of the primary display failure detection and operator
commands, a determination is made in step 701 as to whether the
primary display failure has been detected.
[0052] If the primary display failure has been detected, then, in
step 704, the primary display is deactivated to place the primary
display in a quiescent, fully transparent state. Referring to step
703, if the operator initiated a reversion to the backup display,
then, step 704, the primary display is deactivated to place the
primary display in a quiescent, fully transparent state.
[0053] In step 705, the primary display's dynamic opaque back layer
is deactivated thereby making the primary display's dynamic opaque
back layer transparent. Further, in step 705, the secondary
display's dynamic back layer is activated thereby making the
secondary display's dynamic back layer opaque.
[0054] In step 706, secondary display is activated and the video
signals are routed to the secondary display instead of to the
primary display.
[0055] FIG. 8 illustrates application of an embodiment of the
present invention to the situation where hardware separation of
displayed information is required to achieve multi-level security.
For illustrative purposes, one can assume that module 800 is
hardwired to display information deemed "unclassified," while
module 801 is hardwired to display information deemed
"confidential" while module 802 is hardwired to display information
deemed "secret." The information system of which this triplexed
construct is a part would determine by user password analysis which
of the displays will be activated and which ones will not, thus
providing valuable hardware separation of security levels in the
display of sensitive information. The parallel spaced-apart
relationships 803 and 804 follow the general criteria for such
interstitial distances disclosed earlier. A method for displaying
different classes of information on different modules is discussed
below.
[0056] FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the present
invention of a method 1500 for displaying different classes of
information on different modules in accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention.
[0057] Referring to FIG. 15, in step 1501, a first module, e.g.,
module 800 (FIG. 8), is hardwired to display unclassified
information. In one embodiment, the first module may be hardwired
to display unclassified information only if the user enters a
password designated to allow the user to retrieve unclassified
information.
[0058] In step 1502, a second module, e.g., module 801 (FIG. 8), is
hardwired to display classified information. In one embodiment, the
second module may be hardwired to display classified information
only if the user enters a password designated to allow the user to
retrieve classified information. The password that allows the user
to retrieve classified information may be different from the
password that allows the user to retrieve unclassified
information.
[0059] In step 1503, a third module, e.g., module 802 (FIG. 8), is
hardwired to display secret information. In one embodiment, the
third module may be hardwired to display secret information only if
the user enters a password designated to allow the user to retrieve
secret information. This password may be different from the
passwords that allow the user to retrieve unclassified and
classified information.
[0060] Referring to FIG. 9, FIG. 9 illustrates the possibility of
using an arbitrarily complex construct composed of many modules
(900, 901, and all modules between them represented in
dotted-outline format) in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention. Each of the modules is in parallel spaced-apart
relation 902 with its neighboring counterparts in the stack. The
quality of the three-dimensional imagines generated is proportional
to the number of modules and inversely proportional to the distance
902, which defines the construct's Z-axis granularity. With
properly encoded information, it is possible to generate a
quasi-three-dimensional image using this construct. The example
suggested by FIG. 9 is of a solid cylinder with its central axis
being perpendicular to the planar surfaces of the modules 900
through 901 comprising the construct. Each module in the stack
comprising the construct displays the line of intersection between
the three dimensional object being displayed and the plane of the
module. For this reason, the modules between 900 and 901 are shown
as displaying only the outer ring of the cylinder. Excessive
directionality of optical output power would vitiate the desired
effect of solid objects being displayed within the limits of the
construct.
[0061] FIG. 10 illustrates a "reality overlay" display system that
incorporates simple (single level) redundancy in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention. During normal operation, the
observer views the world through both modules 1000 and 1001. Module
1000 is the primary display, which may or may not be displaying
information to be overlaid on the real-world image as seen through
the module. Such displayed information as would appear on 1000 can
be advisory, or it can include targeting reticles, digitally
enhanced images, etc. Should module 1000 fail or be disengaged by
the observer, module 1001, which is in parallel spaced apart
relation 1002 to module 1000, will be activated, and the observer
will again view the real world through both 1000 and 1001, but the
overlaid information will be emitted from the surface of 1001
rather than 1000. By definition, reality overlay display
applications do not incorporate any opaque components, such as
might be found in other display applications herein.
[0062] FIG. 11 is an embodiment of the present invention of a
flowchart of a method 1100 for implementing multi-level security
using hardware separation as explicated in the description of FIG.
8. The various terms (login, polling, etc.) are not to be construed
in a restrictive sense, but broadly, in keeping with the general
principles well-known to anyone skilled in the art of systems
security.
[0063] Referring to FIG. 11, in step 1101, a determination is made
as to whether the login flag is set for the first security level.
If the login flag is not set for the first security level, then in
step 1102, a determination is made as to whether the login flag is
set for the second security level. If the login flag is not set for
the second security level, then in step 1103, a determination is
made as to whether the login flag is set for the third security
level. If the login flag is not set for the third security level,
then in step 1104, all secure displays are deactivated and reverted
to login mode. In step 1105, the user logins to the system to set
security flags that determine which displays are active. Upon
setting security flags that determine which displays are active, a
determination is made as to whether the login flag is et for the
first security level in step 1101.
[0064] If the login flag is set for the first security level, then
in step 1106, display 800 (FIG. 8), associated with a first level
of security clearance, is activated. In step 1109, the user logs
out of the system or other semaphore is activated that flags for
deactivation. Upon logging out of the system or activating a flag
for deactivation, all secure displays are deactivated and reverted
to login mode in step 1104.
[0065] If the login flag is set for the second security level, then
in step 1107, display 801 (FIG. 8), associated with a second level
of security clearance, is activated. In step 1109, the user logs
out of the system or other semaphore is activated that flags for
deactivation. Upon logging out of the system of activating a flag
for deactivation, all secure displays are deactivated and reverted
to login mode in step 1104.
[0066] If the login flag is set for the third security level, then
in step 1108, display 802 (FIG. 8), associated with a third level
of security clearance, is activated. In step 1109, the user logs
out of the system or other semaphore is activated that flags for
deactivation. Upon logging out of the system or activating a flag
for deactivation, all secure displays are deactivated and reverted
to login mode in step 1104.
[0067] FIG. 12 is an embodiment of the present invention of a
method 1200 for implementing quasi-three-dimensional imaging using
the multiplicity of overlaid displays suggested in FIG. 9. In order
to keep projected energies proportional to the surface contours of
the objects being displayed within this system, only the surface of
the object is generated. The intersection of this surface with the
virtual plane formed by each of the elements between display 900
and 901 inclusive (viz, including 900 and 901 themselves) provides
the encoding framework for feeding the appropriate information to
each element with the construct contemplated in FIG. 9.
[0068] Referring to FIG. 12, in step 1201, the insertion of the 3-D
object's surface with the virtual plane of the display is
determined for each display within the multiplicity disposed
between 900 (FIG. 9) and 901 (FIG. 9). In step 1202, a
determination is made as to whether the calculated intersection
does exist and can be encoded.
[0069] If the calculated intersection does exist and can be
encoded, then, in step 1203, the line of intersection between the
3-D solid object and the virtual plane of the selected display is
encoded and that image is generated on the display. In step 1204, a
determination is made as to whether all the displays between 900
and 901 have been polled.
[0070] If, however, the calculated intersection does not exist
and/or cannot be encoded, then in step 1204, a determination is
made as to whether all the displays between 900 and 901 have been
polled.
[0071] If all the displays between 900 and 901 have not been
polled, then in step 1201, the insertion of the 3-D object's
surface with the virtual plane of the display is determined for
each display within the multiplicity disposed between 900 and
901.
[0072] If, however, all the displays between 900 and 901 have been
polled, then in step 1205, a frame of image data containing the
data describing the 3-D objects is accepted. Upon accepting the
frame of image data, the insertion of the 3-D object's surface with
the virtual plane of the display is determined for each display
within the multiplicity disposed between 900 and 901 in step
1201.
[0073] Although the system and method are described in connection
with several embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the
specific forms set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is
intended to cover such alternatives, modifications and equivalents,
as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *